Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-11-11
THE PEASANT BRIDE.
Romantic story ofa Rich and Frigid
Russian Prince, and Ills Marriage.

The NeW York. Tribune. though his
tile and his grandfather, Marshal Witt
genstein. were German, as were also
his father and half-brothers. was born
and remained Russian. lie was an
officer of the cars guard. and for
many years military attache at the
Russian embassy here. He was fab
ulously rich. His mother was the
he ress of the richest branch of the
Radziwil family. and was seized Of es-
tates in Russia on which there were
altogether 125, 600 serfs. After mi
nority in which she was plundered by q
commission of trustees and guardians.
there remained TO her only so, 800 a
year. Her husband, the son of Mar
shall Wittgenstein, undertook a series
of lawsuits to make the plundercrs dis
gorge. He got out of them $40, 500, 900
cash, and the enormous estates which
her son has enjoyed ever since his in
fancy. They were chieey in Russia,
but there was n Polish estate bringing
in yearly income of SlS7. 500 which
he came into jointly with the
Princess Hohenlohe, now Statthel-
term of Alsace-Lorraine, his full
sister. 1t was whispered that the late
prince of Sayn Wittgenstein was the
sor of the Gar Nicholas, who. when he
was grand duke, made up to Princess
Stephanie and was not discouraged. A
consciousness on the part of Nicholas
OF the illegal father having discover.
ed that this was so was the cause of the
bitter and undyng hatred which he
manifested toward the injured husband,
and which obliged the latter to qu
Russia and settle in Germany W ia his
second wife. nee Princess Bar atinsky.
who in her husbands lifetime began "A
love affair with List the composer. At
any rate. Prince Peter SAW Wittgen-
stein. who has just died. was the i'm
age of the most naughty and unbend-
nc OF the Russian czars, and had that
peculiar stare of Nicholas which Queen
Gloria in writing of him mentions.
The blue iris of the large and widely
opened eve was small. and Whenever
the lid was not down appeared encir-
cled with white. This was an unpleas-
ant ugliness. But otherwise he was
very fine-look NJ man with a correct.
pseudo-Cfreek profile. At review in
the fulI-dress uniform of the Russian
guard. the prince was really an impos.
ing parsonage He was brought up at
the court of ST. Petersburg, which. be-
fore the nihilsts sobered it little was.
as us legal father said in his will. the
most frivolous and corrupt in the
world
Well, Prince Peter had a great con-
tempt for women; so much so tn at
twenty years ago he was regarded as a
confirmed bachelor. The Princess
Metcherski. who became the wife of
Prince Paul Demidoff and the Princess
Troubetsko', who succeeded her as that
milionaire's second SPOUSE, wero
among those who were thrown at his
head by ambitious mothers. H. wa,
talked of in connection with various
beautie. of the imperial court; but his
alleged relations with them were not TO
their honor, and though he went to
the dinners and suppers of the brilliant
cocottes who cut such dash in the
time of the second empire, they never
seemed to exercise any fascinat on upon
him. He was called "the northern
ic clc' by the princess Metternich, and
King Frost" Yet this cold, stately
man. who despised nearly every woman
whom he knew and passed for being a
misogyni;i WIS capable of burning
and a romantic and an enduring pas
sion and may be said to have died of
broken heart, because his wife went to
the grave before him after union
for long time secret-of nearly TWEEN
~ years.
She was servant in a Breton inn
when he first saw her, He had gone
TO Brittany to see one OF those pictu-
rescue religious meetings, half pagan.
half Christian, and wholly Breton.
known at Pardons. saw his bride i n
Paris good many years ago. She was
staying with Breton woman, of hum
BILE extraction like herself. who had led
a rather curious sort of life. Princess
Peter had the neatest features conceiv-
able, jet black hair, penciled br6ws,
bright black eyes expressing health.
tslity, and quick perceptions, and
cleaning, even teeth that lit up the
well-lighted face whenever she laughed.
She was fishers daughter at Kerl on,
and her father. grandfather. four I'M
cles, and three brothers had persisted
at sea Whenever she heard high
wnd she crossed herself and offere d up
a prayer for all who were out at sea
and for all sailors and fishers orphans.
Prince Sayn Wittgenstein did not like
her to wear her peasants costume. But
she was never at her ease unless in it.